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lisastein's review against another edition
4.0
4 1/2 stars.
Poignant, wonderfully written. Honest, sometimes brutal, almost always heart wrenching.
Poignant, wonderfully written. Honest, sometimes brutal, almost always heart wrenching.
jack106's review against another edition
3.0
Received this copy from LibraryThing.
Karen Neulander is a busy political consultant and mom to 6 year old Jacob, while living with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer. With only a few years left to live, she starts journaling her life, her story to be left after she is gone and read by her son. Through her writing, we learn about her childhood, parents and sister. The story also focuses heavily on her relationship with Jake's father. Her son is insistent that he meet his dad and their new relationship unfolds through the book.
This story made me feel something- being of a similar age and having a young child- I felt her desperation to leave her legacy while leaving everything tidy behind her. I felt her emotional journey and thought the writing by Lauren Grodstein was done extremely well in this case.
The story was a bit predictable but otherwise would recommend as a bit of a tear jerker.
Karen Neulander is a busy political consultant and mom to 6 year old Jacob, while living with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer. With only a few years left to live, she starts journaling her life, her story to be left after she is gone and read by her son. Through her writing, we learn about her childhood, parents and sister. The story also focuses heavily on her relationship with Jake's father. Her son is insistent that he meet his dad and their new relationship unfolds through the book.
This story made me feel something- being of a similar age and having a young child- I felt her desperation to leave her legacy while leaving everything tidy behind her. I felt her emotional journey and thought the writing by Lauren Grodstein was done extremely well in this case.
The story was a bit predictable but otherwise would recommend as a bit of a tear jerker.
gweiswasser's review against another edition
4.0
Full review at:
Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein has an almost unbearably sad premise: Karen Neulander, a 40-something political consultant and single mother to a 6 year-old boy named Jake, is dying. She has had a recurrence of ovarian cancer, and is two years into a four-year prognosis. She decides to write a book – a memoir – for Jake, so that he can read it when he is older and understand who his mother was.
Unbearable, right?
Well, I read Our Short History, and I made it through to the other side. I didn’t even cry until the last few pages (and no, Karen doesn’t die at the end of the book). It is sad, to be sure, but it’s also well-written and funny at times and not needlessly maudlin. Karen is flawed, but realistically human. She is in a terrible situation and she’s trying to make the best of it. She is a dedicated, diligent mother with large – but not infinite – reserves of patience for her son, and she’s smart and determined. She also happens to have Stage IV cancer, which has thrown her a big curveball.
The book opens with Jake asking Karen, once again, to find his father and introduce them to each other. Karen has resisted this request of Jake’s for many years, but he has worn her down, and given her (and his) circumstances, she finally relents. She sends a Facebook message to the man she had dated seven years earlier, whom she had loved but who told her he didn’t want children. Karen doesn’t really think through all of the ramifications of this outreach (which is kind of unlike her) – if Dave wants to see Jake, how often will she let that happen? Will visitation become a regular thing? What rights might he have to custody? Will he try to get custody after Karen dies?
Karen may be frustrating at time, even irrational, but I don’t know who wouldn’t be in the same situation. Grodstein has created an utterly realistic depiction of the choices a mother would reasonably make facing her premature death and the care of her beloved son. Karen loves Jake with a ferocity than even she can’t control sometimes, which pushes her to behave in ways she might regret, but which are oh so understandable.
So yes, Our Short History is a sad book, and at times Karen’s plight took my breath away. But I appreciate Grodstein’s writing and her storytelling, which made this much more than a tearjerker. I am a fan of her earlier works, and was not disappointed at all by this one.
Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein has an almost unbearably sad premise: Karen Neulander, a 40-something political consultant and single mother to a 6 year-old boy named Jake, is dying. She has had a recurrence of ovarian cancer, and is two years into a four-year prognosis. She decides to write a book – a memoir – for Jake, so that he can read it when he is older and understand who his mother was.
Unbearable, right?
Well, I read Our Short History, and I made it through to the other side. I didn’t even cry until the last few pages (and no, Karen doesn’t die at the end of the book). It is sad, to be sure, but it’s also well-written and funny at times and not needlessly maudlin. Karen is flawed, but realistically human. She is in a terrible situation and she’s trying to make the best of it. She is a dedicated, diligent mother with large – but not infinite – reserves of patience for her son, and she’s smart and determined. She also happens to have Stage IV cancer, which has thrown her a big curveball.
The book opens with Jake asking Karen, once again, to find his father and introduce them to each other. Karen has resisted this request of Jake’s for many years, but he has worn her down, and given her (and his) circumstances, she finally relents. She sends a Facebook message to the man she had dated seven years earlier, whom she had loved but who told her he didn’t want children. Karen doesn’t really think through all of the ramifications of this outreach (which is kind of unlike her) – if Dave wants to see Jake, how often will she let that happen? Will visitation become a regular thing? What rights might he have to custody? Will he try to get custody after Karen dies?
Karen may be frustrating at time, even irrational, but I don’t know who wouldn’t be in the same situation. Grodstein has created an utterly realistic depiction of the choices a mother would reasonably make facing her premature death and the care of her beloved son. Karen loves Jake with a ferocity than even she can’t control sometimes, which pushes her to behave in ways she might regret, but which are oh so understandable.
So yes, Our Short History is a sad book, and at times Karen’s plight took my breath away. But I appreciate Grodstein’s writing and her storytelling, which made this much more than a tearjerker. I am a fan of her earlier works, and was not disappointed at all by this one.
tracimreed's review against another edition
3.0
Diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Karen reaches out to the father of her son, at his request, and against her will. Jake’s father made it clear that he didn’t want to have children so when Karen told him she was pregnant, he rejected her and she raised Jake alone. Now, Karen has to deal with her mortality and letting Jake’s father, who is now inexplicably overjoyed with being a father, into her son’s life. Written as a first person narrative from Karen to Jake, Our Short History explores looming death and what it means to really be a parent.
Ugh, I am so torn about this book. On one hand, it’s insightful and sensitive but on the other hand, I just wanted Karen to die already, which is horrible. I found her to be a terrible character and was so ANGRY with her for trying to keep Jake from his father. If I were dying, I would be surrounding my only child with EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET who love me him even a fraction as much as I did and instead she wants to keep him isolated from his father because he broke her heart 7 years ago. 🙄🙄🙄
I literally liked every character more than Karen, even smarmy politician Ace.
Ugh, I am so torn about this book. On one hand, it’s insightful and sensitive but on the other hand, I just wanted Karen to die already, which is horrible. I found her to be a terrible character and was so ANGRY with her for trying to keep Jake from his father. If I were dying, I would be surrounding my only child with EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET who love me him even a fraction as much as I did and instead she wants to keep him isolated from his father because he broke her heart 7 years ago. 🙄🙄🙄
I literally liked every character more than Karen, even smarmy politician Ace.
bretts_book_stack's review against another edition
3.0
I had reserved this from the library and forgot the subject matter when it first arrived. To be honest I was almost reluctant to read what was sure to be an incredibly sad story of a bright, ambitious political consultant and single mother of a boy of six, who is facing her own mortality when diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. The story is written almost as a letter to her son, telling him who she was and who she hopes he'll grow up to be. Of course all this is complicated when the boys father comes back into her life who never knew his son existed. I wanted to be cynical and resist the emotional bent of the book, but Karen's voice manages to rise up against too much sentimentally and self pity. It's angry at times, but feels pretty honest and could be the Amy Adams starring holiday movie that reduces people to puddles. I had some minor quibbles with the book, but overall found it while sad, a good read.
aksimmo's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, my heart! Our Short History is a novel about political consultant Karen and her six year old son Jake. Karen, a single mother is dying of ovarian cancer. As a gift to Jake she is writing a manuscript about her life before and after him and little words of wisdom for him along the way.
Jake has never met his father, but now he's asking to. His father Dave was adamant that he didn't want kids, so Karen has never told him about Jake's birth, but when she finally does he seems excited to meet him and wants to be part of his life. This is an internal struggle for Karen because she feels that Jake is hers and hers alone and she's not ready to give one little piece of her son away.
This book tore at my heartstrings. As a mother, I knew I would feel every one of the feelings Karen felt. That fierce protectiveness, the inability to share him with another, the sorrow in knowing she would never see him grow up, the need to teach him even in her absence, the fear that he would change, the rage that another would waltz in and try to take over. Lauren Grodstein does a remarkable job of bringing Karen to life even when her death is so imminent. This book packs an emotional wallop and it's one I know I will be thinking about for days to come. 5 out of 5 stars!
Jake has never met his father, but now he's asking to. His father Dave was adamant that he didn't want kids, so Karen has never told him about Jake's birth, but when she finally does he seems excited to meet him and wants to be part of his life. This is an internal struggle for Karen because she feels that Jake is hers and hers alone and she's not ready to give one little piece of her son away.
This book tore at my heartstrings. As a mother, I knew I would feel every one of the feelings Karen felt. That fierce protectiveness, the inability to share him with another, the sorrow in knowing she would never see him grow up, the need to teach him even in her absence, the fear that he would change, the rage that another would waltz in and try to take over. Lauren Grodstein does a remarkable job of bringing Karen to life even when her death is so imminent. This book packs an emotional wallop and it's one I know I will be thinking about for days to come. 5 out of 5 stars!
jgeisler's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful book about the love a mother has for her child and her sincere - and sometimes painful - efforts to ensure the best future possiblefor him. The idea behind this book is unique, in my experience. A woman has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and as the book opens, you realize that you are reading the book that she is writing so her 6 year old son is able to learn more about her and this time when he is older. The book is a mixture of reminiscences of their past, details and rationale for the arrangements she has made for him and information about his father, who actually didn't know he had a son until the little boy began asking about his father.
The characters are beautifully drwn and realistic; the sister, working so hard to support her sister, the father, who is over the moon with the news that he has a child and still tries to support the mother, and the main character who wants desperately to protect her child and yet gives herself space to consider other options in his best interest.
a thought provoking book.......highly recommended.
The characters are beautifully drwn and realistic; the sister, working so hard to support her sister, the father, who is over the moon with the news that he has a child and still tries to support the mother, and the main character who wants desperately to protect her child and yet gives herself space to consider other options in his best interest.
a thought provoking book.......highly recommended.
karenks's review against another edition
5.0
The last few pages of this book I read with tears in my eyes. It was a stuggle to see the words. I'm not a particularly emotional reader. The only books I recall crying while reading were The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe and Fine Things by Danielle Steele. I believe this is because these books really hit home. I lost my Mom to cancer when I was thirteen and even though I'm on the verge of 60 the loss is still fresh and always will be. Getting the prespective from the dying made me think back to my Mom and wonder what thoughts were going through her mind as she knew she was leaving three young children without a mother. Lauren Grodstein has written an incredible book! I guarantee this book will make you cry. This book is perfect for book clubs, lots to discuss. I look forward to meeting this author in May.
anrobe's review against another edition
5.0
And this book KILLED me … in the best of ways! What a wonderful and devastating book! This is a novel about motherhood like none other I’ve read. The basic premise is that there is a woman who has a six year old son and she’s recently found out she is going to die. The father was not part of their lives but her son wants to meet him. As she’s facing putting all of her affairs in order and making sure her son is well taken care of in light of her impending death, she’s also trying to manage her own feelings about her illness and how to manage allowing her son’s father become a part of her son’s life. It sounds morose and sad … and it is and yet it isn’t. It’s a wonderfully balanced story that is funny and sad and poignant and heart breaking.
The mother in the story is a political consultant so I really loved hearing about her work and getting a lens into a political campaign and its ups and downs throughout the novel. Between that and learning about how she’s balanced being a working single mother, it’s amazing how well she has done on her own. Having ovarian cancer has made the balance of her home and work lives start to fall apart a bit.
This story is about dying and cancer and yet it’s really about so much more – being a parent, trying to say goodbye, how wonderful and horrible motherhood can be, and how to help your child be OK despite the sorrow that is coming their way. The story is told via a letter from the mother to her son which I think was a really effective way to frame the story.
This is one of those stories that made me laugh and cry. By the end, I was sobbing … for her, for her son, for her friends and family and for this little boy’s father. The circumstances weren’t’ easy for anyone in the book but I definitely understood why they did some of the things they did (even if I didn’t necessarily agree with them). I don’t think it was the most groundbreaking or unpredictable story I’ve read BUT it was well written and beautifully expressed. It made me think and feel and think some more. It reminded me to be appreciative of every moment I have with my own kids and to do my best to help them become who they are. It reminded me to not be so stubborn about taking help when it is offered. It reminded me that you can find the humorous in the sadness.
I felt like the characters were well drawn in this one – they were flawed and often made decisions that were difficult to watch as a reader. I enjoyed the fact that the characters were ‘allowed’ to feel pain and anger and sorrow. The good and the bad of life … without qualms or qualifiers. I couldn’t stop reading this one. It grabbed me and didn’t let go until the last word. I highly recommend it … especially if you’re a mother or want to better understand being a mother (the good, the bad and the ugly). This is a beautiful and heartbreaking book that just wow’d me!
The mother in the story is a political consultant so I really loved hearing about her work and getting a lens into a political campaign and its ups and downs throughout the novel. Between that and learning about how she’s balanced being a working single mother, it’s amazing how well she has done on her own. Having ovarian cancer has made the balance of her home and work lives start to fall apart a bit.
This story is about dying and cancer and yet it’s really about so much more – being a parent, trying to say goodbye, how wonderful and horrible motherhood can be, and how to help your child be OK despite the sorrow that is coming their way. The story is told via a letter from the mother to her son which I think was a really effective way to frame the story.
This is one of those stories that made me laugh and cry. By the end, I was sobbing … for her, for her son, for her friends and family and for this little boy’s father. The circumstances weren’t’ easy for anyone in the book but I definitely understood why they did some of the things they did (even if I didn’t necessarily agree with them). I don’t think it was the most groundbreaking or unpredictable story I’ve read BUT it was well written and beautifully expressed. It made me think and feel and think some more. It reminded me to be appreciative of every moment I have with my own kids and to do my best to help them become who they are. It reminded me to not be so stubborn about taking help when it is offered. It reminded me that you can find the humorous in the sadness.
I felt like the characters were well drawn in this one – they were flawed and often made decisions that were difficult to watch as a reader. I enjoyed the fact that the characters were ‘allowed’ to feel pain and anger and sorrow. The good and the bad of life … without qualms or qualifiers. I couldn’t stop reading this one. It grabbed me and didn’t let go until the last word. I highly recommend it … especially if you’re a mother or want to better understand being a mother (the good, the bad and the ugly). This is a beautiful and heartbreaking book that just wow’d me!